Power in Australian foreign policy
Date
2018-06-18
Authors
Lim, Darren
Ferguson, Victor
Journal Title
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Volume Title
Publisher
Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group
Abstract
The 2017 Foreign Policy White Paper emphasises the importance of ‘maximising’ Australia’s power and influence. However, the White Paper and much of the commentary on Australian foreign policy do not clearly conceptualise ‘power’ or indicate how it ought to be increased. The Lowy Institute’s recent Asia Power Index implies one possible strategy via its resource-based approach to measuring power. We outline a different approach and argue that power should be conceptualised and evaluated as a specific relationship causing behavioural change, rather than as a general attribute of its wielder. To complement the Lowy Institute’s carefully catalogued database, and facilitate a more focused conversation about maximising power and influence in Australian foreign policy, we offer a typology identifying five pathways through which states can translate their material and non-material resources into outcomes that serve the national interest.
Description
Keywords
agenda-setting, Australian foreign policy, coercion, diplomacy, persuasion, power
Citation
Collections
Source
Australian Journal of International Affairs
Type
Journal article
Book Title
Entity type
Access Statement
Open Access